What’s the Best or Strangest Modified Porsche You Know Of?

When it comes to uniquely modified Porsches, we've seen our fair share. Examples we've posted about include a Porsche 944 station wagon, a tri-axle Porsche 928, a Cayenne plated in gold, a Turbo Porsche 356, a 914 with a small block 350 stuffed into it and other things we can't even explain. Good or bad, we're always on the lookout for something new or different as you just don't know where you'll find it.

Case in point was a recent visit to our friends at the Road Scholars. Every trip to see Kevin and Cam is a memorable experience due to the many incredible Porsches that pass through their hands for both restoration and sale. What we weren't expecting to find was a uniquely modified Porsche 914 parked in the rear of their shop. In fact, it was only from a quick glance through a back window that we happened to notice an extended rear-end where we weren't expecting to see one. A Porsche 914 pick-up truck - really? We had to know more.

Porsche 914 Pick-up Truck is the Love Child of Renowned Metal Fabricators and a Massive Porsche Salvage Yard

Dick Troutman walked into the Aase Brother's shop in southern California to buy a Porsche 914-6 they had for sale and told co-owner Dave Aase that he was interested in making a pick-up out of it.

For those of you unfamiliar with him, Dick Troutman is one half of a team (his partner is Tom Barnes) known for their success at building sports cars for amateur road racing in the 1950s. While probably best known for their Scarab body creations, Troutman and Barnes were intimately familiar with Porsche as well - having built many other custom creations including Porsche "poopers", and a four dour 911 among others.

Recognizing a good opportunity when he saw one Dave Aase sold the 914-6 to Troutman and asked if he would mind constructing an additional pick-up for he and his partner/brother (Dennis) out of their 1972 914. Troutman obliged and the result is the Porsche 914 featured in this post.

The Aase Brother's used the 914 pick-up as a shop truck to transport all sorts of parts for their dismantling business. Dave remembers that a VW magazine did a feature on the pick-up, and had a full page spread with Renee Vaughn (adult entertainer) posing on the car. The pick-up was painted brown at the time and had Aase Brother's business advertised on the rear quarters.

Road Scholars acquired the car from a Porsche collector who walked into the Aase Brother's shop in the mid '80's and had to have the freshly painted 914 pick-up. As you can see from the many pictures below, the execution of the metal work to construct the pick-up bed is fantastic and a true statement of Troutman's skill level.

Road Scholars has no intention of selling their unique Porsche 914 pick-up. In fact, they intend to use the truck as the original owners did, as a shop truck for their restoration business. As Road Scholars co-owner Cam Ingram says, "It's a fun (dare I say) practical Porsche to drive and brings smiles to every one's faces while going down the road."

In our opinion a heavily modified Porsche is either a thing of beauty or something gone so horribly wrong it's tough to look at. This 914 pick-up is and example of a modification done right. So, what's the best, or wackiest, Porsche modification you've seen?

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